Shower curtain structure



July 3, 1956 E. P. SCOTT 2,752,993

SHOWER CURTAIN STRUCTURE Filed June 21, 1954 IN VEN TOR.

i. Z. aME/Q F? Jcor-r A TTO/Q/YEY United States Patent 2,752,993 SHOWER CURTAIN STRUCTURE Elmer P. Scott, New York, N. Y.

Application June 21, 1954, Serial No. 438,241

6 Claims. (Cl. 160-630) The present invention relates to curtains, more particularly to a shower curtain, particularly adapted to have deodorizing or antiseptic properties,

Shower curtains are, of course, very well known and they generally consist of sheets of plastic material usually of rectangular shape, having a series of grommets at the upper edge thereof, through which pins are inserted for suspending them from rods or the like. It has been proposed in structures of this kind to provide at the lower edge thereof a substantially continuous pocket open on the side, facing the shower and adapted to be filled with water as the shower is being used. Openings in the bottom of the pocket allow the water to gradually drain out. While chemical materials might be placed in said pocket, they would not be eifective for the present purposes.

In another structure there was provided at an intermediate point on the shower curtain, a relatively small pocket or receptacle having a large opening at the top and a small opening at the bottom and intended to hold a cake of soap or other material. This structure is incapable of holding a liquid or even a solid for any substantial length of time since solid would tend to dissolve rapidly under the influence of the shower and any elfectiveness that it might have would be lost.

The present invention is intended and adapted to overcome the difi'iculties and disadvantages inherent in prior structures of the type described, it being among the objects of the present invention to provide a shower curtain or the like with means at the upper edge thereof to enable the same to hold a deodorizer, fragrance or antiseptic.

It is also among the objects of the present invention to provide means of absorbing a liquid material of the type described, which will be effective for relatively long periods of time and for a number of uses of the shower curtain.

It is further among the objects of the present invention to provide a structure of the above described type wherein absorbent material is used for holding the liquid and wherein said material is protected so that water flowing from the shower will not wash away any of the absorbed liquid, whereby long life thereof is insured.

In practicing the present invention there is provided the usual shower curtain of a suitable plastic material such as a vinyl resin of a type which has been on the market, said resin being suitably modified by plasticizers and other constituents so as to adapt it for use as a shower curtain. Along the top edge of the curtain and below the series of grommets, there is secured absorbent tape, usually of cotton and usually of woven material. Superposed on the tape is a water-repellant edging, usually in the form of a rufiie, which is stitched or otherwise secured to both the absorbent tape and the curtain so as to protect the tape from water flowing from the shower. A suitable deodorizer in liquid form is absorbed into the tape.

In the accompanying drawing constituting a part hereof and in which like reference characters indicate like P 2,752,993 Patented July 3,1956

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a shower curtain made in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the upper portion of the curtain, some parts being broken away for clearness, and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view thereof taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

The curtain 1 of rectangular shape has a series of grommets 2 along the upper edge thereof to enable it to be hung from a pole or the like by means ofsuitable pins or othersuspending devices. A rufile 3 of plastic material, usually of the same type as that of curtain 1 is stitched along the upper edge of said curtain just below grommets 2, as shown at 4 in Fig. 3. A narrow strip or tape 5 of an absorbentfabric is interposed between curtain 1 and ruffle 3 and is held by the stitching 4. A suitable liquid isypoured onto tape .5, whereby it is absorbed.

Because ruffle 3 fully covers tape 5 and extends a substantial distance below said tape as shown at 6, any volatilization of the absorbed liquid is hindered and if the curtain is not being used, the vapor pressure Within space 7 builds up to a point where no more vaporization takes place and practically none of the vapors escape. However, when the shower is in use and there is movement of the curtain, a bellows action takes place which permits the vapors to pass down and out below point 6 and thereby is elfective. This causes more vaporization and continuous deodorization or emission of fragrance occurs. It is to be noted that tape 5 is protected from the flow of water which is diverted to the outer sides of curtain 1 and ruflle 3 so that none of the absorbed liquid can be washed away and thus lost.

Although the invention has been described setting forth a single specific embodiment thereof, various changes in the details of construction may be made within the scope of the invention. For instance, the curtain need not be exactly rectangular and rufile 3 may be made without any folds. Absorbent tape 5 need not be a strip of tape with parallel sides but may be of any suitable shape, just so it is covered and protected from the flow of water. These and other changes may be made within the spirit of the invention which is defined in the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. A shower curtain or the like comprising a substau tial rectangular sheet of water repellent material, means along the top edge thereof for suspending the same in vertical position, an absorbent tape across the curtain adjacent the upper edge thereof, an edging of water repellent material superposed over said tape, said edging being secured to said tape at the upper edges thereof by means which prevent water from contacting with said tape, said absorbent material being impregnated with a liquid which is volatile.

2. A shower curtain or the like comprising a substantially rectangular sheet of water repellent material, means along the top edge thereof for suspending the same in vertical position, an absorbent tape across the curtain adjacent the upper edge thereof, said tape being of woven cotton fabric, an edging of water repellent material superposed over said tape, said edging being secured to said tape at the upper edges thereof by means which prevent water from contacting with said tape, said absorbent material being impregnated with a liquid which is volatile.

3. A shower curtain or the like comprising a substantially rectangular sheet of water repellent material, means along the top edge thereof for suspending the same in vertical position, an absorbent tape across the curtain adjacent the upper edge thereof, an edging of water repellent material superposed over said tape, said edging being rufiled, said edging being secured to said tape at the upper edges thereof by means which prevent water from contacting with said tape, said absorbent material being impregnated with a liquid which is volatile.

4. A shower curtain or the like comprising a substantially rectangular sheet of water repellent material, means along the top edge thereof for suspending the same in vertical position, an absorbent tape across the curtain adjacent the upper edge thereof, an edging of water repellent material superposed over said tape, said edging being secured to said tape at the upper edges thereof by means which prevent water from contacting with said tape, said absorbent material being impregnated with a liquid which is volatile, said securing means being a line of stitching.

5. A shower curtain or the like comprising a substantially rectangular sheet of water repellent material, means along the top edge thereof for suspending the same in vertical position, said suspending means being a series of grommets into which pins are adapted to enter, an absorbent tape across the curtain adjacent the upper edge thereof, an edging of water repellent material superposed over said tape, said edging being secured to said tape at the upper edges thereof by means which prevent water from contacting with said tape, said absorbent material being impregnated with a liquid which is volatile.

6. A shower curtain or the like comprising a substantially rectangular sheet of water repellent material, means along the top edge thereof for suspending the same in vertical position, an absorbent tape across the curtain adjacent the upper edge thereof, an edging of Water repellent material superposed over said tape, said edging being secured to said tape at the upper edges thereof by means which prevent water from contacting with said tape, said absorbent material being impregnated with a liquid which is volatile, said curtain and said edging being of sheets of synthetic plastic materials.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

